After Midnight
by neda
Summary: Max feels lonely after Tinga gets taken.
1. Default Chapter

After Midnight  
  
Date: May 14, 2001  
Summary: Max feels lonely after Tinga gets taken.   
Spoilers: Yes some.  
Archive: Yes, just let me know where.  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. I don't own them. I don't own them. James Cameron,   
Charles Eglee  
and Fox do.  
  
  
Logan awoke suddenly and glanced at the clock. 12:01 it read. He didn't have a   
clue what had woke him   
but something had. Glancing around his room he could barely make out a person   
curled up in the chair by   
the window. "Max?", he called out softly. The only reply was a soft sniff from   
that direction. Logan knew   
it was her. "Max, what's wrong?" Something was up because she had never shown up   
in the middle of the   
night like this before. "I didn't mean to wake you, Logan." Logan reached over   
and turned on the lamp beside   
his bed. It cast a gentle glow across the room. Max was curled up in the chair   
with her head on her knees.   
She lifted her face and Logan could tell that she had been crying. "Max, tell me   
what's wrong?", he said.   
"Just didn't feel like being alone." was her only reply. "No big dealio."  
"You don't have to be strong all the time you know. Come over here Max."  
Max slowly walked across the room to stand beside the edge of the bed.   
He grabbed her hand and pulled till she sat on the edge of the bed.   
"Talk to me, please"  
Before meeting Logan, Max would never have even considered confiding in anyone   
about her personal feelings.  
Letting people in meant being vulnerable to getting hurt. But there was just   
something about Logan that made  
her feel that she could trust him with anything.  
"I'm just feeling lonely, Logan. It feels like everyone around me is   
disappearing. First Brien and now Tinga.  
Sometimes I feel like everyone I care about is leaving me. Silly huh?"  
Logan realized that this was more open than Max had ever been with him. He   
gently laid his  
hand over hers where it rested on the bed. "No Max it's not silly at all. And   
you are not alone and will never be  
alone, not as long as I'm around." At that moment Logan felt something shift   
inside him. He'd been doing a lot  
of thinking since Case and his Dad left. "I've been thinking a lot about what   
Case's dad said earlier. About not   
regretting one minute of his time with Tinga."   
He had Max's full attention now. What exactly was he trying to say?  
"Max you do realize I care about you, right?" Logan asked.  
"Sure Logan. We're friends." She was getting more nervous by the moment. Was he   
implying something more?  
"Friends….Is that all we are? Is that all you want to be? If it is just say so   
but I feel that we could have something   
more, something special. If you want me to back off Max just say the word?"  
Max wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling. Growing up at Manticorp didn't   
exactly prepare you for situations   
like this or feeling like this.  
"I'm not sure I know how to be anything more Logan. I'm not sure I'm even   
capable of it. What if…" she started  
to ask.  
Gently Logan placed his fingers to her lips. "Shhh. Max you are more than   
capable. I can see it in the way you   
talk about your brothers and sisters. In the way you looked at Case. We can take   
it slow Max. This isn't  
something that just has to be instant. We can give it time for you to get used   
to it and learn what's inside of   
you and what we are together."  
Max took a deep breath and hoped. "I'd like that Logan." She felt as if a huge   
weight had just been lifted off   
her shoulders. She was still nervous and wasn't quite sure what to do next but   
she didn't feel as alone anymore.  
Logan gently tugged on Max's hand. "Come here Max."  
"What happened to take it slow?" Max questioned.  
A gentle smile spread across Logan's face. "Tonight you need a friend Max. Lay   
down and let me hold you.  
Get some sleep. Let me take care of you for a bit."  
As Max slowly relaxed and let sleep claim she felt contentment like never   
before.   
Logan lay awoke for a long time just watching her sleep. Whether she knew it or   
not she had just given him  
one of the greatest gifts in the world.....her trust. With a smile on his face   
he let himself drift to sleep.  
  
To be continued......If you review it more will come. 


	2. chapter 2

After Midnight   
Chapter 2  
  
Author: Neda (Annetta) nedatn@home.com  
Date 5-15-2001  
Summary: Breakfast  
Spoilers: Yes some.  
Archive: Yes, just let me know where.  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. I don't own them. I don't own them. James Cameron,   
Charles Eglee  
and Fox do.  
  
  
  
  
Max woke slowly and immediately sensed that something wasn't right. The smell of   
her room was off.   
Her's smelled like a combination of old paint, mildew and motor oil. No this   
smell was different. Like   
soap and polished wood and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.   
  
She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. She inhaled deeply. Ahhh   
that's what that was. A   
slow grin spread over her face. That smell was male and not just any   
male...LOGAN. That mixture of   
laundry soap, shampoo and that certain spice that was pure Logan. To Max's   
feline senses that smell was heaven.   
  
Slowly her hand crept across the bed only to realize that she was alone. Max   
rolled over on her   
back and did one of those fabulous morning stretches. The full body kind with   
arms up and back  
arched and toes pointed. Man but she felt good this morning. As she slowly becae   
more and more awake she remember the   
events of the previous evening. The conversation with Logan and thier decision   
to explore there   
relationship...slowly. Oddly enough Max would expect to feel a certain amount of   
apprehension at   
this prospect but right now the only thing she felt was hungry. There was that   
"cat that ate the cream"  
(or soon would) grin again.   
  
Max sprang out of bed and after a brief stop a the washroom proceeded to follow   
her nose to the kitchen  
. And the closer she got the better the smell. What that man could do with food   
was positively sinful.  
Logan was sitting at the island flipping pancakes on a flat electric griddle.   
Beside it sat a mound of crisp bacon and a pitcher of milk.   
  
Logan sensed her presence and glanced up. "Morning. Slept well I hope."  
  
"Best nights sleep I've had in long time. Helps when you don't have to share   
your bedroom with the sound of scurrying rats.", she replied.  
  
Logan paused in his expert pancake flipping to pour her a tall glass of milk.   
"Come sit and drink this while   
I make you a plate. Knowing how you are I figured food would be one of the first   
things on your mind this morning."  
He set a plate in front of her and piled it high with fluffy pancakes and bacon   
and set a small pitcher of maple syrup by it.   
  
"Pancakes and bacon, Logan?" she asked. "Not that I'm conplaining but isn't that   
a little simple for you. Thought   
you always did things in a grand way." she quiped.  
  
"Ah but the lady has not seen the piece de resistance yet." And with that   
uncovered a bowl that she hadn't noticed and   
produced the largest, redest strawberries she'd ever seen.  
  
"And.....let us not forget for what are strawberries with out fresh whipped   
cream." And with that he placed the strawberries  
and cream in front of her.   
  
Max snagged one from the bowl and swirled it in the cream. She closed her eyes   
and took a large juicy bite and the flavor   
burst over her tongue. She didn't think she had ever tasted anything this good   
before. "God Logan that is unbelieveable."  
  
Logan always delited in presenting Max with little treats like this. She was   
really very easy to please. From the look on her   
face he could tell she was really enjoying it....and for that matter so was he.   
She was sitting there with her eyes closed and   
head tilted slightly back. Her tongue darted out to catch the juice that had run   
from the corner of her mouth. "It certainly is." he replied.  
  
Something about the tone in his voice had Max opening her eyes and looking at   
him. She caught his eyes and saw something   
there that she hadn't seen before. There was a smokey gaze that made her forget   
all about the treat she had been enjoying.  
It made her heart leap into her chest and stirred up the butterflies in her   
stomach. It seemed like forever that he held her gaze.  
Suddenly he blinked.   
  
"Eat your pancakes before they get cold.". he said smiling.  
  
"Yes, sir. Never let it be said that I let a good pancake go to waste."  
  
Max and Logan began eating there breakfast. Max was enjoying it so much that she   
completely lost track of time. So when her   
watch beeped it startled her a little. She glanced down and realized that it was   
8:00 already and she was suppose to be at Jam Pony by 8:30.   
  
"Oh man I'm gonna be late and Normal is gonna start his screaming early this   
morning. Not like I care but it's such a nice   
morning already." she groaned with a slightly sarcastic tone.  
  
Logan laughed a little. "Yeah like you ever worry what he thinks."  
  
"True but then there's Original Cindy who's gonna be all over me about where I   
was last night and what I was doing and were  
there any cute guys involved and all that kind stuff. She's a kinda mother hen   
about that kinda thing."  
  
"And what are you gonna tell her?" Logan asked suddenly serious and kind of   
afraid of what her answer would be.  
  
" Well I can always say that I was out riding my baby till late and didn't wanna   
wake her but she has this thing she does with   
her eyes when she looks at you. Kinda like she just knows your lying and can see   
directly into your soul or something.   
You know that look she gets when she props her hand on her hip and tilts her   
head and makes that "Mmm Hmmm" noise."  
  
Logan knew the look. She'd used it on him a time or two.   
  
"Although I think I'll tell her the truth. I stayed at a very good friend's   
house and yes there was definitely a cute guy involved."   
And with that Max grabbed her backpack and darted around the island to place a   
quick peck on Logan's check. "Gotta blaze. See ya."  
And with that she was out the door.   
  
Logan took a deep breath to recover from the whirlwind that was Max. Life was   
good. That little kiss on the cheek was a lot  
closer than Max had ever come before to initiating contat with him. It made   
Logan smile to think back over last night and   
this morning. Sure this morning was light and fun but he could tell that Max   
hadn't forgotten what had occurred between them last night.   
  
She was more relaxed and at ease than he had ever seen her before. It's like a   
wall that she normally kept the real Max  
hidden behind had started to slip a little and she was comfortable letting him   
see her as she really was for the first time.   
He could get used to this breakfast thing, he thought to himself. "And that   
thought was way too fast after I promised her slow."  
he muttered aloud to himself.   
  
"Promised who slow and are there anymore of those pancakes left?" Bling stated   
from the doorway to the kitchen.   
  
Logan about jumped outta his skin because he hadn't heard bling come in. "Yes   
there are plenty left and who I was   
talking about is none of your business." Logan stated friendly like.  
  
"It couldn't be tall, dark and gorgeous that just blazed outta here like her   
pants were on fire could it?", Bling teased. He   
had felt the tension between Logan and Max for a long time and was just waiting   
for something like this to happen. He  
would love nothing more than to see these two wounded souls heal each other.  
  
"Maybe and that's all the answers your getting if you still want pancakes.", was   
Logan's reply.  
Today was definitely going to be a good day, he thought and set about cleaning   
up the breakfast dishes. 


	3. chapter 3

After Midnight  
Chapter 3  
  
Date: May 16, 2001  
Summary:   
Spoilers: Yes some.  
Archive: Yes, just let me know where.  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. I don't own them. I don't own them. James Cameron,   
Charles Eglee  
and Fox do.  
Author's note: In case everyone didn't already know this is my very first   
fanfic.   
Thanks for all the fabulous reviews and keep them coming. I will hopefully  
have more chapters soon.  
  
**Minor editing due to continuity errors. Thanks to the reviewers who pointed   
out my error.  
Was going to a birthday dinner with my mom and in a hurry to get this chapter   
posted so  
I didn't proof read as carefully as I should have.****  
  
  
Max was pissed.  
  
There were no two ways about it. She was tired and hungry and she stunk.   
And to top it all off she was soaking wet. And everybody knows that   
cat's and water don't mix.  
  
And who's fault was her current condition you might ask? You guessed it....  
Mr. Logan Cale himself.   
He had called earlier and asked her to meet one of his sources to pick up  
a disk with info on his latest scandle of the week. Why it was that his   
sources always seemed to want to meet in the absolute worst part of town   
in the middle of the night she had no clue. Not that she was worried or  
anything but it would be nice to meet someplace pleasant for a change.....and   
dry.  
  
Anyway back to how she got into her currently rotten state. After meeting   
the source she had almost been spotted by a hover drone. She had dove between   
two dumpsters and right into a bag of really nasty scraps that some lazy person   
had   
missed the dumpster with. And now as she trudged back to her baby which she had   
parked  
several blocks away it started to rain. And not just a sprinkle or a gentle   
rain, we are talking torrential downpour. And of course this meant either   
finding cover   
somewhere and waiting out the storm or riding her bike back to Logan's in the   
rain.  
Neither choice was too appealing but maybe the ride would help wash off some of   
this  
smell.   
  
Finally arriving back at Logan's she let herself in with that nice new set of   
lock picks  
she had aquired for herself.  
  
The place was dark and Logan was strangely enough not at his computer, although   
she could   
tell he had been working because the monitor was still on. Taking a quick glance   
into the   
living room she was suprised to see him laying on the couch sound asleep. Laying   
on his   
back with one arm above his head and the other across his chest he had such a   
peaceful   
expression on his face. It was suprising to realize how much Logan guarded his   
facial   
expressions during the day. But seeing him this way....peaceful and almost   
child-like almost   
made her want to cancel her plans for revenge. Note the almost there..hehehe.   
Instead she just   
revamped them a little bit.   
  
Max crept into his bedroom and headed straight for the bathroom. First things   
first...she had   
to get clean and dry. She quickly took a hot shower that at least took care of   
the smell  
part. Walking back into his bedroom wrapped in a not so large bath towel she   
began searching   
for something to wear. There was absolutely no way she was putting her own   
clothes back on.  
Logan was definitely getting laundry duty in the morning. It was the least he   
could do. Maybe  
she should bring a change of clothes over and leave it just for this kinda of   
situation.  
Not a bad idea, she thought to herself. Then she would have one less excuse not   
to stay over   
like Logan was always asking her to.  
  
Not that anything major had gone on get. When the man said slow he meant slow.   
Almost to the   
point of having her climbing the walls. He just better be thankful it wasn't   
time for her to   
be in heat again. She had no intentions of suffering through that again. Not   
that she thought   
it would take much to convince Logan. He was being really sweet about this whole   
relationship   
"taking it to a new level" thing. He had made her dinner several times over the   
last couple of   
weeks and it wasn't unusual to find them afterward snuggled on the couch   
watching an old movie  
or tv show rerun. And then there was the hand holding and the hugs and the   
kisses he gave her   
with increasing frequency.   
  
The boy can Kiss. WHEW.....made her toes tingle just to think about it. A noise   
behind her had   
her turning around startled to realize that she had been standing here in a   
towel while holding   
a pair of Logan's boxers. She had no idea how long she had stood there   
daydreaming. The noise  
she had heard turned out to be Logan wheeling through the bedroom door.  
  
"Now this is a nice suprise." he stated, making note of her current state of   
undress. His eyes  
roamed from her face to her toes and back again. "When did you get back?" he   
tried for a relaxed  
tone but somehow didn't think she would miss the slight catch in his voice.  
  
"Awhile ago." she replied not missing a thing from the voice to the smoldering   
look in his eyes.  
She decided that evven though she wasn't really pissed anymore she would still   
play the slightly  
ticked off angle a bit.  
  
"You would not believe what I went through to get you that precious disk   
tonight. First off   
it would be nice if when your sources say 11:30 they would actually arrive   
around that time  
instead of making me sit around till 12:15 waiting on their sorry butt to get   
there." she said.  
  
Logan was trying really hard to pay attention to the words she was saying but   
there is just   
something about a mans brain that tunes to a different channel when an   
attractive women was   
standing in your bedroom with her hand on her hip with a towel that looked like   
the slightest  
twitch would have it slithering to the floor.  
And those legs...wow....I mean wow...there were just not words enough to   
describe Max's legs.   
Long, smooth, sexy....those just didn't hold a candle to the actual thing.   
Logan's desire fogged   
brain was sending some amazing signals to the rest of his body. Max's legs might   
not have   
made his paralysis a thing of the past but he definitely noticed that he had a   
lot more   
sensation from the waist down than he used too. This had relieved a bunch of his   
worries   
about certain areas of his and Max's budding relationship. And then there was   
that towel....  
that lucky lucky towel. Gradually someone calling his name began to filter   
through to him.   
He glanced up to see Max standing there with a "I know your not listening to me   
so don't   
even bother to deny it look on her face.".  
  
"I'm sorry Max I guess I'm not totally awake yet. What were you saying?" he   
quickly tried to   
cover his lack of attention to what she had been saying.  
  
Max wasn't fooled for a minute. She could smell the change in Logan a mile away.   
Sure a tiny bit   
of her was peaved at his ignoring what she was saying but she was smart enough   
to realize while  
he wasn't listening to her words he was paying attention to her...and this was a   
good thing. A  
very good thing.  
  
Max's feline DNA had not only given her the senses of a cat but she also had the   
wits enough to   
stalk her prey and know exactly the right moment to pounce. Never let it be said   
that she   
failed to answer when opportunity came knocking.  
  
A slow smile spread across Max's face as she gently stated..."Nothing that can't   
wait...seeing  
as how your so tired and all. Maybe we should just go to bed."  
  
Oh...My...God.....Logan thought. His chin must surely have made a thunking noise   
loud enough to  
wake the dead as it hit the floor.  
  
Realizing that Logan was having an extremely hard time getting his usually   
genius mind to process   
coherent thoughts much less spoken sentences at the moment, Max slowly crossed   
the small space   
between them and sat down on Logan's lap. She buried her nose in his neck right   
where it met his  
shoulder and inhaled slowly. Drawing in that certain scent that was pure Logan   
and that added   
something that made her purr.   
  
In the meantime, Logan's hand, having given up on his brain's ability to make   
the really   
important moves here, developed a mind of it's own and slowly trailed it's way   
up her bare   
arm to her neck and gently cupped the back of her head. With a gentle pressure   
he encouraged   
her head to tilt back give him access to her lips. He dipped his head to slowly   
press his   
lips to hers.   
  
Max's head was swimming. Logan didn't just kiss her...he consumed her. This   
wasn't just sex or   
lust, this was passion and love. These were not areas that Max was overly   
familiar with so it  
made her a tad nervous. Don't misunderstand, she'd had sex before. That was all   
about satisfying  
a brief need while in heat. It was something she was driven to do. This was   
totally different.   
This mattered. "God, don't let me screw this up.", she thought silently to   
herself.  
  
Logan's thoughts at the moment were centered around much the same fears. He'd   
had relationships.   
But this was the first time since his accident for one thing. And then there was   
the fact that  
he wanted desperately to make this something special for Max. It wasn't like he   
was expecting   
her to be a virgin or anything but he didn't think she'd ever had any time of   
committed   
relationship. Given the way she grew up he knew she hadn't been exposed to any   
loving,   
nuturing relationships. He wanted thier first time together to be memorable.   
"Please let me make this good for her." was his last thought before all thoughts   
totally   
disappeared and desire took over.  
  
Not exactly sure how they accomplished it, Max suddenly found herself laying   
side by side   
facing Logan. He had managed dispose of her towel during the transfer from chair   
to bed.   
Now he was nuzzling her neck and shoulders while running   
his hand up and down the bare expanse of her back. She arched her back a tad and   
he   
cupped her buttock to bring her snug up against him. Max's entire body turned to jello as he   
caressed her skin. She wasn't exactly sure how much more   
of this   
torture she could take.   
  
Max suddenly sat up and pushed Logan over onto his back. She tugged his tshirt   
over his   
head to reveal his chest. Running her hands slowly from neck to waist and back   
again she   
marveled at the feel of his firm muscles under her hands. His skin was like warm   
silk   
stretched across steel. She knew that due to his paralysis he kept his upper   
body in   
good shape but she hadn't realized exactly how good. She kissed his chest and   
ran her   
hands over his well defined muscles. A small groan escaped Logan throat and   
made   
max smile that secret smile that she saved just for him.  
  
"Max your killing me.", Logan exclaimed.  
  
"I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop?". she asked knowing full well that   
stopping was   
the absolute last thing on his mind.  
  
"Oh God No. Anything but that." Logan glanced up at Max and a small frown   
crossed his face.   
"Max you realize I haven't done this much lately. Scratch that...I haven't done   
this any lately?"  
  
Max smiled to herself. Even in his current mind-blown state, Logan was concerned   
about her.   
"Logan, I haven't done this lately either." she stated.  
  
"But Max I...." he started to say but Max quickly placed her hand over his mouth   
to silence   
his fears.  
  
"Logan it doesn't matter.", taking a huge chance Max took a deep breath and   
forged ahead,   
"I love you Logan and that's what makes this so spectacular no matter what   
happens."  
  
Logan's heart felt like it would swell out of his chest. He hadn't realized how   
much it   
would mean to him to actually hear her say those words. "I love you too, Max."   
he replied.   
  
"But Logan can we discuss all this mushy stuff later?", she said as she slowly   
ground her   
hips into his. "I think nows the time for a little less talk and a lot more   
action."   
she stated while smiling wicked.  
  
God, he loved this woman. He thought to himself as he pulled her down for   
another of those   
heart stopping kisses.   
A good while later Max collapsed across Logan's chest while he gently stroked her hair. She was sure that she had never felt anything   
quite like that  
in all her life. It was like they had managed to grab just a little bit of   
heaven and surround  
themselves with it.   
  
Logan thoughts were more along the line of prayers. Thanking God for bringing   
this fabulous  
creature into his life. Wondering how he had managed to live his whole life   
without this   
feeling of contentment.  
  
They lay that way for who knows how long. Each happy just to be close to each   
other. To absorb  
each other. After awhile Logan felt Max sigh. He stroked the hair away from her   
face and placed  
a tender kiss upon her forhead. "I love you.", he said simply.  
  
This caused her to lift her head and stare deeply into his eyes. "Logan.", was   
all she could   
manage to get out of her emotion clogged throat. Tears threatened to spill down   
her face.   
There had never been anyone who had made her feel like this before. So cared   
for, so cherished   
and so loved.   
  
Logan sensed Max's fragile emotional state immediately pulled her to him for   
another kiss. His  
evil hands, wanting to see her smile again, dove in and started to tickle her   
sides. Max   
immediately jerked and laughed, trying to evade his fingers. Laughing till she   
couldn't   
catch her breath Max finally pinned Logan's hands to his side.   
  
"Thanks, Logan. I needed that.", she said with a smile. Her stomach took that   
moment to   
announce it's presence by growling loudly.  
  
Logan chuckled. "Sounds like you worked up an appetite. You know I just might   
know where   
we could find some of that cheesecake with chocolate sauce and raspberries that   
I made   
for you the other night."  
  
Max liked the sound of that. "Really? Then what the heck are we laying around   
here for." She  
jumped from the bed and threw him his sweats while snagging his tshirt for   
herself.  
  
"Hey," Logan complained good naturedly, "That's mine."  
  
"Not anymore.", Max replied. "You haven't washed my stuff yet and plus I want to   
stare at that   
fabulous chest of yours while I enjoy my cheesecake. And who knows, if your   
really lucky you   
might just manage to spill the chocolate sauce."  
  
And with that she turned and twitched her tail out of the room. Logan rushed to   
get dressed and   
follow, not wanting to be away from her a minute longer than neccessary. This   
was turning out  
to be the best night of his life.   
  
  
To be continued..................... 


End file.
